Baltimore Attorney for Injuries Caused by a Babysitter

Babysitters and nannies are expected to care for your child as you would. While the law does not necessarily place this exact burden on them, babysitters still have a legal obligation to care for the children under their watch, provide reasonable supervision, and make other health and safety decisions with reasonable prudence to help avoid injury.

If your child was injured while under a babysitter or nanny’s care, the sitter may have committed serious acts of negligence or abuse that led to the injury. If your child’s injuries were caused by mistakes or errors that the babysitter should have avoided, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras today to discuss filing a personal injury lawsuit. This kind of lawsuit could get you damages for your child’s medical care, pain and suffering, and future financial harm. Our Baltimore attorneys for injuries caused by a babysitter are available to schedule a free legal consultation. Call (410) 694-7291.

Suing for Injuries and Accidents Caused by Babysitters in Baltimore

If you placed a babysitter in charge of your child, that babysitter took on a legal obligation to care for your child in a reasonable manner. This by no means requires your babysitter to take extreme steps to keep your child safe like stepping in front of a speeding car or a bullet for them, but it does require them to take reasonable steps to prevent injury.

In most cases, this duty to act as a reasonable babysitter should is breached by mistakes in how the babysitter followed instructions or supervised the child. Many injuries that children face in the household occur under a babysitter’s watch because the babysitter was not in fact watching the child closely enough. Negligent supervision does not need to rise to the level of “neglect” for a babysitter to be held accountable. Instead, these injuries usually occur because a babysitter was in the other room or was too preoccupied with their cell phone to keep the children safe.

Other injuries could occur because of car accidents, fire and electrical hazards, negligent food preparation, or intentional acts of violence. In any case, part of the lawsuit will require your lawyer to prove that the babysitter’s negligence or intentional acts of violence caused these injuries before the court can award you damages for the child’s injuries.

Proving an Injury Case Against a Negligent Babysitter in Baltimore

In court, you must prove an injury case “by a preponderance of the evidence.” This essentially means that you must show the jury it is “more likely than not” that your claim is true.

The evidence used in a lawsuit against a negligent babysitter will usually involve testimony from your children as well as testimony from other witnesses, medical records of what injuries were involved, and financial records of how much the injuries were worth. In some cases, camera footage from home security cameras, baby monitors, “nanny cams,” and other recordings could provide evidence of how the injury occurred and why the babysitter is to blame. In some cases, the simple fact that the babysitter was the only one around could be enough to prove that no one else caused the injuries and that they must have been the babysitter’s fault.

Damages for Injuries from Babysitters in Baltimore

When you sue the person that caused you or a loved one injuries, you are typically entitled to claim damages for economic harms such as medical bills and lost wages, plus damages for noneconomic injuries such as pain and suffering. Our attorneys explain how these damages might apply to your child’s injuries.

Damages for medical expenses can often be claimed for most treatment related to the injury. Even if you have health insurance that will cover your child’s care, there is no reason that you should have to pay if your child was injured by someone else’s negligence, and a lawsuit could cover these damages.

Damages for lost wages might seem unnecessary since your child likely does not have a job. However, if your child suffered serious injuries that could lead to permanent disabilities or issues that affect their ability to work to support themselves or take care of themselves, damages might be available for future lost wages. Often called “lost earning capacity,” these damages could be an essential part of your child’s future needs after a traumatic injury.

Damages for pain and suffering do not have clear bills or expense reports that can help you place a value on these damages. However, our lawyers can help you determine how much to claim based on the mental and emotional effects of the injury on your child. Severe mental anguish, anxiety, and depression from the injury could be worth a substantial amount in pain and suffering damages, as can reduced enjoyment in life or inability to participate in activities your child used to love.

Always talk to a lawyer about what your case might be worth. In many cases, your babysitter will not be able to afford damages for these kinds of things out of pocket, so the best way to get the claim paid might be to file a claim against your homeowners insurance or the babysitter’s homeowners insurance – if applicable. If the injury occurred in a car accident or other auto accident, other insurance coverage might provide the damages you need. In any case, you should not accept money for your child’s injuries until you have discussed your case and what it should be worth with an experienced lawyer.

Call Our Baltimore Lawyer for Victims of Assault and Accidental Injury by Babysitters and Nannies

If your child was injured because of negligent supervision by a babysitter or other accidents that were caused by a babysitter’s negligent or intentional behavior, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras today. Our Baltimore attorneys for injuries caused by a babysitter might be able to take your case and fight to get you and your child the compensation you need. For a free legal consultation on your potential case, call us today at (410) 694-7291.